by Wilder, L.
I couldn’t blame him for being concerned, especially since Navarro had actually been in his apartment. At the time, Jason had no idea who Rodrigo Navarro was, much less that the cartel boss was actually his best friend’s father. That all changed the night Navarro showed up at his apartment and held him captive. Navarro knew if he threatened Jason’s life, his daughter would come and try to rescue him. He thought if he could lure Alejandra there, then he could kidnap her and force her to return home. Unfortunately for him, she was Shadow’s girl, which meant she was under club protection. There was no way in hell we were going to let him take her without a fight. While things didn’t play out the way any of us had expected, Navarro was killed, leaving us to deal with the aftermath. Jason learned a great deal about the club that day, things most outsiders were never privy to, but it simply couldn’t be prevented. We had to dispose of the bodies and any evidence that could tie any of us to his murder. Even though we knew Jason had been marked by what he’d seen, the brothers and I trusted him to keep his mouth shut. I just prayed his nervous behavior hadn’t made the reporters suspicious. Regardless, the fact that they’d shown up at his apartment was a red flag, and we would have to find a way to deal with it. “What else did they say?”
“She said there were some questions surrounding Navarro’s death, and they were looking for information on who might’ve been involved in his murder.” He looked back over to Gus as he asked, “Do you think they know what really happened?”
“No, Jason. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a couple of reporters knocking at your door.” Jason’s eyes widened in horror when Gus continued, “It would be the fucking cops.”
“The cops!”
“Easy, son. You have nothing to worry about. We made sure of that,” he assured him. “What can you tell me about these two reporters?”
“Not much. Just that they said they worked for the Memphis Metro.”
“Did they show you any identification?”
“No, sir.”
“Then, how the hell do you even know if they’re real reporters?” Gus complained. “What about a name? Did they give you that?”
“Yes, sir. The chick said her name was Reece something.” He thought for a minute before saying, “Yeah. It was … Um … Reece Winters. I’m not sure about the guy that was with her. Myles something or another.”
Everything around me stilled as the name Reece Winters echoed over and over in my mind. I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that Reece was a reporter. The last I’d heard, she’d gone to Vanderbilt to get her law degree, and I couldn’t figure out how she’d ended up working for the newspaper. It didn’t make any fucking sense. Thinking I must’ve misunderstood, I turned to Jason and asked, “Did you say Reece Winters?”
“Yeah, I think that’s right.”
“Damn,” I muttered under my breath.
“Look into it, Riggs, and let me know if you find anything on this girl.”
“You got it, Prez.”
He turned his attention back to Jason and said, “If they turn up at your place again, I want to know about it.”
“Yes, sir.” Jason stood as he said, “I know you guys are good at what you do. I’m sorry if I came across as skeptical. It’s just … I wasn’t expecting reporters to show up at my door. I thought this thing with Navarro was done.”
“It’s done, but keep your head low and don’t talk to anyone about this,” Gus ordered.
“I won’t. You have my word.” He walked over to the door and before he walked out, he looked over to Shadow and said, “I’m guessing you won’t be mentioning this to Alex.”
“No, and neither should you. Just like Gus said … don’t talk to anyone about this.”
“Got it.”
When he walked out the door, I turned to Gus. “I’m going to check out this Reece Winters chick. If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Good. And do a check on Josue’s location.”
“I did this morning, and he was still in Little Rock. I’ll let you know if he’s on the move.”
Gus nodded as I turned and headed out of his office. My mind was reeling as I made it back to my room. I had no idea why Reece was at Jason’s apartment, but I was determined to find out. Once I was back in my room, I went straight over to my desk and turned on my computer. It didn’t take a great deal of expertise to do a basic search on the name Reece Winters, especially since it wasn’t a common name. Just as I expected, as soon as I typed in her name, several pages of information popped up. When I saw the Memphis Metro, I clicked on it, and sure enough, her picture appeared on the screen. I read her work bio and discovered that she’d been working there for almost two years, which meant she only lasted six months at Vanderbilt. I knew Memphis was a big city; hell, there were a million or so people living in it. I just couldn’t believe that she’d been in town for two years, and until the other night, I hadn’t laid eyes on her once.
I leaned back in my seat as I thought back to the night she talked about going to Vanderbilt to get her law degree. It was clear that becoming a lawyer meant something to her, which made me think that it had to have taken something big to make her walk away. I couldn’t imagine what it could’ve been. She seemed like the kind of woman who wouldn’t let anything stand in the way of what she wanted. Hoping to find something that would help me figure it out, I turned my attention back to my computer and started sorting through the different articles she’d written over the past two years. Most of them were pretty mundane, covering things from new traffic lights to people running for office, but she had a distinct writing style—a style I liked, even as I read about some fucking pet show the girl scouts put together for the elderly. After I scanned through several more articles, I decided to dig a little deeper. I wanted to know why she’d left Vanderbilt, so I started there. I’d just pulled up their database when there was a knock at my door. Before I could answer, Blaze shouted, “Hey, brother. There’s someone here to see you.”
As I opened it, I asked, “Who is it?”
“Why don’t you go see for yourself?” I didn’t miss the mischief in his eyes as he added, “They’re waiting in the bar for ya.”
I could tell by the expression on his face that something was up. “Blaze, quit fucking around. Who’s here?”
“Like I said, they’re in the bar for ya.”
With that, he turned and headed down the hall. Hoping he’d give me something, I shouted, “Blaze!”
He didn’t respond, leaving me beyond irritated. My mind was set on finding out everything I could about Reece, and I wasn’t in the mood to be interrupted. I stormed down the hall, but the minute my foot hit the doorway, I stopped cold. I felt the air rush from my lungs the second I spotted her. She was sitting at one of the back tables fiddling with her phone, completely oblivious that I’d walked into the bar, which gave me a moment to just stand there and soak her in. She was just wearing a pair of dark-colored jeans with a white, V-neck t-shirt, but she looked absolutely stunning—just like she did when we met. As I stood there staring at her, my mind drifted back to that weekend, and my entire body throbbed with need as I thought about her mouth on mine. It was a memory that was burned into my mind, and it took every ounce of strength not to go over to that table and kiss her right there on the spot. I longed to relive that moment, but it would have to wait. I’d actually have to speak to her first. So, I forced myself to pull it together and started towards her.
A smile crossed her face as she said, “Hi, Jackson. I’m not sure if you remember me. I’m—”
“Don’t. I remember you quite well, Reece.” The thought that she’d think I wouldn’t remember her baffled me. Hell, since the time we’d met, there wasn’t a day when she hadn’t crossed my mind at some point or another. As I sat down next to her, I smiled and said, “It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you too.”
“It’s been a while.”
She glanced around the room as she replied, “Yeah, I guess it h
as.”
“Would you like a beer or something?”
“Sure. A beer would be great.”
I got up, and as I grabbed us both a drink, I found myself wondering why she’d come to see me. While I liked to think that she simply wanted to reconnect, I doubted that was what brought her to the clubhouse on a Monday night. Considering the timing, I couldn’t help but think it had something to do with Jason. While the thought concerned me, Reece couldn’t know that I suspected anything. Better yet, I wasn’t gonna let on that I knew anything about her or what she’d been up to over the past two years, so I tried to act casual as I walked back over to the table and sat down. Handing her a beer, I said, “The last time we spoke, you were heading off to Vanderbilt.”
“Yeah, well … Things didn’t exactly turn out the way I’d planned.”
“Oh, really? How so?”
“Let’s just say, life got complicated, and I had to drop out.”
“I hate to hear that. I know becoming a lawyer was important to you.”
“It was, but things have a way of working out.” She took a long sip from her beer before she continued, “I got a job at the Memphis Metro, and it’s actually going pretty good.”
“So, you’re a journalist or something now?”
“I am. I never really saw myself as a writer, but it turns out that I’m not so bad it,” she scoffed.
A light blush crossed her face when I said, “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Well, I think you might be the only one. My parents weren’t exactly thrilled that I left law school, especially my dad, but I’m good with how things turned out.”
“No disrespect towards your father, but if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
“Maybe. I just wish he could see it that way.” Reece leaned forward as her eyes quickly skirted over me, and when they finally locked on mine, there was that same spark of hunger I’d seen the night we hooked up. It was then that I realized I hadn’t lost my chance with her. I could feel it. I knew in my gut that the connection we shared was just as strong now as it was a few years ago, but when she quickly turned and looked away from me, it seemed as if she was conflicted. Eventually, her eyes found their way back to me, and she slightly smiled before she asked, “What about you? You still working on computers or whatever it is you do?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Something tells me there’s more to the story, but I won’t push.” She teased. “And you’re obviously still a member of Satan’s Fury. Is that going well for you?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
“Good. Glad to hear that.” She bit her bottom lip as she continued, “I guess you’re wondering why I came here tonight.”
“I’ll admit, the thought did cross my mind.”
“Well, I … um … I wanted to talk to you about something.” And just like that, Reece’s entire demeanor changed. She shifted in her seat, and her breath quickened as she fiddled with the strap of her purse. It was clear that she was nervous, but I didn’t realize just how nervous until she stood up and said, “Actually, it’s nothing. I’m sorry for bothering you.”
She grabbed her purse, and when she started for the door, I reached for her. “Hey, where are you going?”
“I shouldn’t have come. I-I don’t know what I was thinking,” she stammered.
“You don’t really think I’m just going to let you walk out of here, do you?”
A surprised look crossed her face. “What?”
“I’ve made some mistakes where you’re concerned. The first one was letting you walk away that morning; the second, was not going after you when you did.” I pulled her over to me and added, “I’m not making that mistake again.”
Taking the chance of a lifetime, I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her with all the hunger and need that was raging inside of me. Damn. She felt even better than I’d remembered. I wanted her, all of her, and when she inched closer and wrapped her arms around my neck, I knew she wanted me too. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking about the club. I wasn’t thinking about Navarro breathing down our backs. I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that Reece had gone to see Jason. The only thing on my mind was her, and nothing else mattered.
8
Reece
Maybe I had a screw loose or a chemical imbalance. Maybe I was experiencing early onset dementia or even a bout of amnesia. I don’t know what it was, but there was clearly something wrong with me; otherwise, I would’ve remembered the effect Jackson Reed had on me. For some insane reason, I thought that I could handle it, that I could keep things simple. I would just play nice, share a few moments of small talk with an old friend, and once we’d had time to catch up, I’d find a way to casually ask him about the surveillance video. In my head, it made sense, but my plan went up in smoke the second I came face-to-face with him. I was crazy for thinking that I could actually be in the same room with him without completely losing it. Just like the night we’d met, Jackson had a way of sweeping me off my feet and making me forget about the world around me, and as I sat there looking at him from across the table, all I could think about was how it would feel to be in his arms again. I couldn’t help myself. Jackson was devastatingly handsome with his dark, shaggy hair, piercing green eyes, and incredible body. But his looks were only a small part of why he was so alluring to me. It was his sexy little smirk, his boyish charm, and the mysterious biker guy side of him that I was so drawn to. All of that was hard enough to resist, but then he had to go and kiss me.
Nothing in this world compared to being in his arms and having him so close, so unbelievably close. Even though my heart told me he was the one, my mind wasn’t so sure. As I stood there kissing him, the doubts started to trickle in, and I found myself thinking about all the reasons why I should just walk away. His club. The video. The lighter. The heartbreak I’d felt when he didn’t call. And then the clincher of them all: I thought about Tate, so innocent and sweet. He needed a mother who could keep a level head, and a father who he could trust. At the moment, he didn’t have either. I was too lost in my own feelings of longing and lust that I hadn’t thought about the consequences. It was all too much, and in a desperate attempt to break the spell he’d cast over me, I placed my hands on Jackson’s chest and gave him a hard shove. He quickly released me, and as he stepped back, he looked at me in utter confusion.
“I’m sorry, Jackson, but I just can’t.”
“Can’t what?”
“I can’t get involved with you.”
“And why not? We’ve got something here. You know we do,” he pushed.
The mere fact that he even asked angered me, and the words just rushed out of me. “Because you were right when you said you shouldn’t have let me leave that next morning. You were also right when you said you should’ve come after me, but you didn’t. You didn’t even have the decency to pick up the phone and call me, and you certainly never returned any of my calls. So, why on God’s green earth would I put myself through all that again?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What?” I scoffed. “You weren’t expecting me to call you out on your bullshit? Well, I just did. You hurt me. I’m not going to let that happen again.”
“I called you, Reece. Not the day after, or even the day after that, but I did call. I know I should’ve done it sooner, but I did call. I left you messages, but I never heard back from you. I wanted to see you again, so after a couple of weeks, I went by your apartment, but your roommate said you had already left for Vanderbilt.”
He was telling the truth. I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, but something just wasn’t adding up. “That’s impossible. Danielle couldn’t have been at our apartment.”
“You’re gonna have to explain that one, because she was definitely there. When I told her I’d come looking for you, she sent me packing.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. She couldn’t afford the rent on her own, so she moved out the same day I d
id. We turned our keys in and broke our lease.”
“When was that?”
“I’m not exactly sure … It wasn’t long after we met, but it really doesn’t matter. There’s no way Danielle could’ve been there after I’d gone.”
“So, she lied to me?” Jackson asked.
“Yes, she lied. I knew she had a thing for you. She was always asking me these random questions about you. I’m actually surprised she didn’t ask you out or something.”
He cocked his eyebrow as he replied, “Well, now that you mention it.”
“And there it is! She was trying to hook up with you! God, how could I have been so stupid?”
With his eyes trained on mine, he took a step towards me and said, “Since we’re finally getting all this out, why don’t you tell me why you came here looking for me a few months ago?”
Even though I remembered that day quite well, I wasn’t ready to discuss the fact that I’d gone there to tell him about Tate. I was already feeling overwhelmed by everything we’d talked about, so I lied. “I don’t know. I can’t really remember, so I guess it wasn’t all that important.”
“Um-hmm.” He crossed his arms and said, “So, you’re telling me that you came all the way out here, and you can’t remember why?”
Becoming defensive, I snapped, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Besides, if you were so worried about why I’d come, why didn’t you call and ask me?”
“It’s a long story,” he answered. “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The number you gave me was disconnected years ago.”
Damn. He was right. I’d given him the number to my home phone, which I had turned off when I moved out. There was no way he would’ve known how to reach me. I was such an idiot. For so long I’d thought he’d just blown me off, that the nights we’d shared together were nothing more than a silly fling, and now that I’d found out I might’ve been wrong, I didn’t know what to think. “So, we both tried to reach out to each other, but it didn’t work out. Maybe that’s a sign or something. Maybe we just weren’t meant to be.”